Iran - Andrew Burke [73]
Try and visit in the morning, when business is brisk but not yet frantic, as it becomes at lunchtime and between about 5pm and 7pm. During these times, the chances of being mowed down by some piece of fast-moving haulage equipment are high.
IMAM KHOMEINI MOSQUE
Tehran has surprisingly few interesting mosques and mausoleums but one that’s well worth visiting is the Imam Khomeini Mosque (Shah Mosque; Map), right inside the bazaar. This is very much a working mosque and one of the largest and busiest in Tehran. The building itself dates from the early 18th century but the real reason you come here is to see Islam in action. The courtyard is accessed from several parts of the bazaar and hundreds of people pass through here, so it’s usually possible for non-Muslims to stand and watch the faithful performing their ablutions and praying, though photography is less welcome.
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THE BAZARIS
In Iran a bazaar is much more than just a place to stock up on a few essential shopping items. The bazaris, the men who run the stalls in the bazaar, are frequently very wealthy and wield enormous political power. They are usually conservative, religious people who have a long history of standing against authority. In an attempt to weaken their power the last shah bulldozed new roads through parts of the bazaar, gave subsidised credit to competing supermarkets and set up state purchasing bodies to handle sugar, meat and wheat. Not surprisingly, the Tehran bazaris hit back during the Islamic Revolution when the closure of the bazaar wrought havoc on the economy. They were equally influential in the 1906 Constitutional Revolution and the coup that ousted Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 (for details, Click here).
It has been estimated that Tehran Bazaar controls a third of Iran’s entire retail and trade sector. Prices here set the standard for prices across the country, and the carpet dealers and other merchants can supply loans almost as readily as the banks. However, the power of the bazaris is waning. Competition from new supermarkets and the time it takes for most Tehranis to reach the bazaar has slowly bled money away from this traditional market, and with it the power of its merchants.
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GOLESTAN PALACE
In what was once the heart of Tehran is this monument to the glories and excesses of the Qajar rulers. A short walk south from Imam Khomeini Sq, the Golestan Palace complex (Map; 3311 3335-8; www.golestanpalace.ir; Ark Sq; admissino several tickets; 9am-3.30pm Fri, Sat & Mon-Wed) is made up of several grand buildings set around a carefully manicured garden. Admission isn’t expensive but, annoyingly, you must buy a separate ticket for each building, and all at the front gate. If you ask, they might also give you an informative printed guide.
Although there was a Safavid-era citadel on this site, it was the Qajar ruler Nasser al-Din Shah (r 1848–96), impressed by what he’d seen of European palaces, who built it into the fine complex you see today. Originally it would have been much bigger, with inner and outer sections to encompass offices, ministries and private living quarters, but several surrounding buildings were pulled down under the Pahlavis.
The following description assumes you start your visit at the Ivan-e Takht-e Marmar, then continue in a clockwise direction around the courtyard.
Walk straight ahead from the entrance to the Ivan-e Takht-e Marmar (Marble Throne Veranda; admission IR3000), a mirrored, open-fronted audience hall dominated by a magnificent throne. The throne is supported by human figures and constructed